Cookbooks To Savor

Nigella Lawson: FeastWhat cooking, especially for family and loved-ones is all about.

Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee: Eating KoreanI would place this cookbook in my top 10 of all time. The recipes are delicious and each section is packed with the best of Korean home cooking. The stories are wonderful, too. Highly recommend.

Irma S. Rombauer: The Joy of Cooking (not the "All New", the old school one) I don't so much like this for main dish and salad recipes as for baked goods, sauces, and jams. I have my mother's copy, and when I was about 12, my favorite thing to do was to make tea sandwiches from this cookbook. Every weekend I'd make a couple of different kinds until I worked my way through all the spreads and fillings. A good basic cookbook.

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We've fallen into a tradition at our house of always serving Mexican (or Tex-Mex or Mexican-inspired) dishes on Mondays. For me, a simple Mexican(ish) meal is easy to throw together. My kids love crunchy Mexican dishes (tacos, nachos) and my husband is a huge fan saying he likes how Mexican Monday "kicks off the week." During football season, Mexican Monday corresponds with Monday Night Football, so that's probably a reason why we have fallen in to the Mexican Monday trap. It's like happy hour, but at home.

Tonight we had nachos and it's such a versatile meal that it's sure to please your kids (and picky eaters). I also like nachos because you can take what sounds like an unhealthy meal on the surface, and make it much more healthful by controlling the quality and freshness of the ingredients.

No one needs instructions on how to make nachos (right?) so I'll just tell you our favorite toppings. I set everything out "buffet-style," and let people top their nachos as they wish.

NACHOS

Add shredded lettuce and your favorite vinaigrette and you have the makings for taco salad.

Sprinkle chips with cheese and microwave or broil for about 30 seconds until cheese is melty before topping with other ingredients.

A bag of tortilla chips (no-salt tortilla chips, baked if you like. I like Mollie Stone's house-brand best.)

Shredded cheese (I like a blend of asadero, jack, and cotija or you can be super-naughty and get a 15 oz. jar of Tostitos Queso Supremo, the spicy one with salsa and black beans mixed in...not that I'm advocating that. Okay, I totally am, but not around the kids.)

This is a very simple (and tasty) chili that comes together quickly when you don't have lots of time to cook. A perfect weeknight meal.CHICKEN AND ANY BEAN CHILI

1 pound ground chicken

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium onion, diced

olive oil

1 tbsp chili powder

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 29 ounce can crushed tomatoes (or tomato sauce or a combination)

1 can of beans (white beans, chili beans, kidney beans, pinto beans)

salt and pepper to taste

In a soup pot or dutch over saute chicken in a little olive oil until browned. Add garlic and onion and continue cooking until onions turn soft and translucent. Add chili powder and cumin and cook spices for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes, covered. Just before serving, add in beans and warm through, about five minutes more. Check seasonings. (I find that this chili didn't need any additional salt because I used chili beans. They were salty enough to season the chili.)

Serve topped with your favorite condiments, or Hawaii-style (the only thing missing is a scoop of macaroni salad:

Cooking Gear To Spice Things Up

All-Clad cookwareI use the stainless line. I love it because you can put it in the dishwasher. If you like to cook it is sooo worth it to have quality pots and pans. I recommend buying a set on sale and then filling in extras as you need them. (Watch for sales and specials.)

Cast Iron SkilletPlease get rid of all your teflon-coated non-stick plans and get a cast iron skillet. I use mine for searing meat, poultry, and fish and then finishing off in the oven. In fact, get two cast iron skillets—one large enough to hold two ribeyes and a smaller, fried-egg-sized one for making...well...eggs.

Food ProcessorQuickly slice/shred veggies and cheese, make hummus or other spreads in a snap, and make pie crust without making a mess.

Global KnivesI am partial to the 18 incher. Yep, I like big knives and I cannot lie. If you like to cook (or even if you don't) you deserve to have good knives. At least one.

Instant Hot Water DispenserIf you can't afford to have one built-in, this is a great alternative. It's nice to have boiling water at the push of a button to make tea, instant miso soup, or morning oatmeal for the kidlets.

Microplane Grater/ZesterUse this to grate citrus zest, nutmeg, and cheese. You could get a coarser one, but you don't need to. I have one and I use it for everything.

SilpatSilpat is a silicone mat used for baking. They come in various sizes. Items will not stick to it. It is a must for any home baker.

Stick or Immersion BlenderIt doesn't have to be fancy, but try and get the highest HP you can afford. I use my stick blender (+ attachments) for making salad dressing (weekly), pureeing soups, making babyfood, and whipping cream.